Track-cutter for logging-roads



(No Model.)

B; R. WEEK. TRACK GUTTER FOR LOGGING ROADS.

WITNESSES .MJQ/ M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMUND RICHARD \VEEK, OF STEVENS POINT, IVISOONSIN.

TRACK-CUTTER FOR LOGGING-ROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,658, dated May 27, 1890.

Application filed February 10, 1890. Serial No. 339,895. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND RICHAR WEEK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stevens Point, in the county of Portage and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track- Cutters for Logging-Roads; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for removing obstructions and impediments from tracks for vehicles, and more especially to those which cut or scrape superfluous ice and snow from the tracks or roads for logging-sleighs.

The shoes of logging-sleighs are sometimes made fiat, but more usually convex, so that they form a concave rut or runner-bed in the snow. To strengthen the track and make it capable of carrying heavy loads, the lumbermen pour or sprinkle water into these ruts, which freezes and forms a smooth hard bottom of ice for the sleds to run on. From repeated treatment of this kind and from the packing of the snow on either side, the tracks for the runners gradually become elevated, uneven, and crooked, so that the sleds are liable to slue off.

The purpose of my invention is to cut out a part of the accumulated ice and snow and make a smooth, straight, even bed below the surface of the packed snow.

The invention consists in apair of knives, cutters, or plows supported on a frame-Work that is carried by a pair of bob-sleds, prefer- 4ojably rather long, and set but a short distance apart. The cutters,being placed between the sleds, operate to true up or joint the track, cutting more off the high places than from the low portions, and tending to straighten out the crooked places and bring the curves to a regular easy sweep.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of my machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of certain parts, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the cutter-heads; and Fig. 4: is a top plan view of a cutter-point.

Upon a pair of bob-sleds A A, of ordinary construction, is supported the frame B of my machine, which comprises two sills b I), rest-' ing on the bolsters a a of the sleds and united by end bars I) b, fastened to the under side of the sills, so as to drop in front of the swiveling forward bolster a and behind the rear bolster a. The frame should be provided with suitable bolts or other fastenings to hold it rigidly in place on the sleds. The sills are also united by two heavycross beams 19 preferably arranged to lie about midway between the sleds, as shown, the lower one being fastened to posts 19 depending from the sills.

A flooring b, of suitable'extent to afford room for the man in charge of the machine,

is laid upon the sills. In the drawings it is partly removed to show the mechanism more clearly.

Near one end of the frame, and preferably behind the cross-bars 11 is a transverse shaft 0, secured to the under side of the sills and projecting beyond them on each side. 011 the projecting ends are hinged the cutterframes D, each comprising a horizontal arm cl, journaled at its rear end on the shaft 0 and projecting forward alongside of the sill b, a vertical head d, fastened to the forward end of the arm and standing in line with the cross-beams b and a brace (1 extending from the arm at to the lower part of the head (1. The arm, head, and brace are preferably composed of stout timbers framed together, although any suitable construction may be adopted.

To the foot of the cutter-head is fastened the cutter E, which comprises a strong solid casting having a preferably flat bottom, a flat vertical inner face, and a curved front face projecting downward and forward, the inner edgebeing armed with a sharp colterblade e, and the surface outside of this blade being beveled off in an easy curve, the whole resembling closelythe mold-board of a plow.

ICO

a section of the cutter-bar of a mowing-machine, having two or more beveled teeth, whose tips lie in a line substantially at right angles to the line of draft.

Each cutter-frame is in 1lependently adjustable vertically, in order to enable the cutters to be set to cut a deep or a shallow groove, as desired. I prefer to effect this adj ustmeut by means of a sector or gear-wheel 11, meshing with a sector-rack G, bolted or otherwise secured to the cutter-head, the curvature of the rack corresponding with that of a circle struck from the axis of the shaft (7 The pinion is fast on a short shaft f, preferably journalcd in boxes secured to the flooring h. The shafts f run transversely of the machine, and are provided with lever-arms F, which can be locked in any one of several positions by means of springdatchesf", engaging with notched quad an ts ll, firmly secured to the flooring I)". By throwing the lever forward or backward the cutter-head will be raised or lowered, respectively.

The cutter-heads are guided in their verti cal movements by means of guides I, consisting, preferably, of heavy metal straps fastcued to the upper and lower cross-bars b and having lips turned at angles engaging with curved flanges (1", secured to the inner sides of the cutter-heads, which may be cut away or rabbeted at d" to permit the guides to overlap the flanges. These guides also strengthen the cutter-frame to resist lateral. strains and wrenches.

To roll back the snow and ice dislodged by the cutters, and also to clear a space outside the runner-beds, a wing or scraper K is arranged behind each cutter. It is set at an angle with the line of draft, the forward end resting adjacent to the rear of the mold-board of the cutter, of which the wing forms practically a continuation. The projection c on the mold-board may overlap the wing, as shown, and the end of the wing may be beveled off to fit the side of the cutter-head (l. The bottom edge of the wing maybe shed with steel or iron, and is preferably curved forward to out under the snow. The two wings are firmly fastened to one or more crossbars Ir, thereby forming a rigid frame that is prevented from undue lateral play by the engagement of the forward ends of the wings with the cutter-heads (Z. The framcis liexibly connected with the cutter-heads by means of short traction-chains 7c, and can be raised or lowered by chains or cords k attached to each end of the frame and running to drums L, journaled in boxes on the arms (Z of the cutter-frames. The forward chains preferably pass over pulleys Zto give a direct vertical lift to all the chains. To the shaft of each drum is fastened a lever-handle M, which has a spring-latch 7N, engaging with a notched quadrant M, to permit the wing at either side of the machine to be adjusted at an y desired height relatively to its cutter.

In Fig. 1 the wing and cutter on the right hand of the machine are shown lowered, while those on the left hand are raised.

The operation of my machine is as follows: The depth of cut to be given to the runnerbcd havingbecn determined,thecutter-frames and wings are adjusted to the proper positions and the machine is drawn over the road. The cutter-points chip and break the ice in the ruimer-bcd, grooving it out to the right depth. The line of the tips of the teeth being at right angles to the line of draft, there is no side draft nor any tendency to swerve from the track. The ice and snow plowed up by the cutter is deflected by the moldboard to the outside of the runner-bed,wherc it is swept up and pushed aside by the wings, together with the snow, ice, and rubbish that liein the pat-h of the wings, leaving asmooth clear space outside of the runner-beds. By making the wings of suitable depth the machine will operate in comparatively deep snow and leave a road of ample width for the unobstructed passage of the logging-slei ghs and their loads. The cutters act in a manner similar to the irons of a carpenters jointingplane, taking off all the kuolls and unevennesscs, whether vertical or lateral, and making a regular even bed for the runners. This effeet is due to the long sled-base on which the machine is carried, which tends to prevent any considerable deviation of the cutters from their true course, either vertically or laterally. \Vhen from repeated sprinkling the run ner-beds become filled up or uneven, the machine can be again run over the road, restoring it to proper condition.

It will be noticed that each cutter -frame and wing is controlled by entirely distinct and independent mechanism, so that my machine can be adapted for use on roads of different widths, if desired, by the easy expedient of making the cross-bars b b and the wing-frame adjustable in length, as by slots and bolts, (indicated in Fig. 1,) or in any other suitable manner.

llaving thus described my invention, whatI claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the sleds and the supporting-frame mounted thereon, of cutters vertically adj ustable on said frame, and wings arranged in the rear of the cutters and adjustable vertically with reference thereto, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the sleds and the supporting-frail]e, of the vertically-adj ustable cutter-frame supported thereby and carryin g a wing thatis itself vertically adjustable with reference to the cutter-frame, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the sleds and the supporting frame, of cutter frames, each hinged to the supportingframe at one end, and means for raising and lowering the other end of each cutter-frame, substantially as described.

The combination, with the sleds and the IIO si'lpporting-frame, of the cutter-frames, each independently hinged to said frame at one end and having a cutter-head at the other end,

guides secured to the frame and engaging with the cutter-heads, and a sector-rack and gear for raising and lowering each cutterhead, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the supportingframe, of the arm d, hinged to the frame at its rear end and carrying a cutter-head d at its other end, provided with the flange (1 the cutter E, and sector rack G, a gear F, meshing with the rack, and lipped guides I, engaging with the flange (1 substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the arm cl,carrying the cutter-head d, of the Wing K, rigidly fixed to the bars 70 k and connected with the cutter-head, the lifting-chains k and the drum L. mounted on the arm d, substantially as described. I

7. The combination, with the supportingframe, of the independently vertically-adjustable cutter-frames and the rigid wingframe independently adjustable on the cutter-frames, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with two bob-sleds having long runners and set near together,

in presence of two witnesses.

EDMUND RICHARD WEEK. Witnesses:

A. R. WEEK, L. R. HUDERSON. 

